How to Make Amazing Caramel Apples

There's no treat more synonymous with fall than the caramel apple. Check out our tips for mastering how to make this iconic autumn sweet, then read on for some creative variations on the classic. Can't get enough of the apple's sweet-tart goodness? Then take at look at some of our all-time favorite apple pie recipes.

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Homemade Caramel Apples

Homemade Caramel Apples

Making caramel or candied apples at home might seem like a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be. With our simple step-by-step instructions, you'll quickly master this classic and festive fall treat.

Start by placing popsicle sticks or whatever other implements you might be using into the tops of the apples, right where the stem would attach. Then chill in the refrigerator until ready to use (the caramel will set up more quickly on cold fruit).

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Make the Caramel

Make the Caramel

Making caramel sauce is supposedly one of the most difficult, finicky tasks in the pastry kitchen. It's true that you can't take your eyes off of it, but as long as you watch it closely you can master homemade caramel.

First, choose a heavy, flat-bottomed saucepan (don't use nonstick for this), and make sure your pan is spotlessly clean — otherwise you will end up with a recrystallized, clumpy mess. Place all of your ingredients into the bottom of the pan. Some caramel recipes are pure sugar while others call for a mix of granulated sugar, corn syrup, and other ingredients. However you like yours, stir as little as possible during the cooking process. It's fine to scrape down the sides a bit with a spatula to avoid sugar burning on the side of the pot, but otherwise leave it alone as much as possible.

Homemade Caramel Apples

Making caramel or candied apples at home might seem like a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be. With our simple step-by-step instructions, you'll quickly master this classic and festive fall treat.

Start by placing popsicle sticks or whatever other implements you might be using into the tops of the apples, right where the stem would attach. Then chill in the refrigerator until ready to use (the caramel will set up more quickly on cold fruit).

Q&S Digital Studio

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Make the Caramel

Making caramel sauce is supposedly one of the most difficult, finicky tasks in the pastry kitchen. It's true that you can't take your eyes off of it, but as long as you watch it closely you can master homemade caramel.

First, choose a heavy, flat-bottomed saucepan (don't use nonstick for this), and make sure your pan is spotlessly clean — otherwise you will end up with a recrystallized, clumpy mess. Place all of your ingredients into the bottom of the pan. Some caramel recipes are pure sugar while others call for a mix of granulated sugar, corn syrup, and other ingredients. However you like yours, stir as little as possible during the cooking process. It's fine to scrape down the sides a bit with a spatula to avoid sugar burning on the side of the pot, but otherwise leave it alone as much as possible.

Finish the Caramel Sauce

There are two types of caramels: wet and dry. To make a coating that will set nicely, stick with a dry caramel (meaning no water is added to the pan during cooking). Wet caramels are equally delicious, but better used to make sauces that remain in a liquid-like state.

Once your caramel sauce has reached a deep golden brown color and has started to smoke or foam just the tiniest bit, it's done. Pull it off the heat and add a few drops of vanilla extract, a dash of salt (to balance all that sugar), butter, and perhaps just a dollop of heavy cream to give it added richness and a velvety texture.

Courtesy of Martha Stewart

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Dip Apples in Caramel

Pour the warm caramel into a wide, shallow bowl. Holding the stick, swirl each apple, one by one, into the caramel, making sure to get an even coat around the whole apple. Try to get a relatively thick coat so the apple skin isn't visible through the caramel layer, but allow any globs or excess to drip off before setting the apple down.

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Set On Parchment, Wax Paper, or Prepared Pan

Once each apple is covered in caramel, place on a prepared piece of parchment paper, wax paper, or a baking sheet coated in nonstick cooking spray.

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Allow Caramel to Set

The caramel may take awhile to set at room temperature. To speed things up, put the apples in the fridge to chill. This is easiest if you've set them on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray or covered in wax or parchment paper so you can move the whole batch in one go.

Mix It Up with Chocolate

Don't stop with plain caramel! Once you have the hang of the basic method, it's just as simple to cover apples in any combination of sweet coatings, candies, and other toppings. These eerily pale, coconut-covered apples use white chocolate instead of caramel sauce to help the coconut adhere. For a foolproof method for melting chocolate, set up a double boiler: Bring water to a simmer in a small saucepan, then place a clean metal bowl on top. The bowl should not touch the hot water, just rest above it (and make sure to bring out your oven mitts to hold the bowl so you don't burn your hands!). Keep the heat relatively low so the water never comes to a full boil. Reserve about a quarter of your chopped white chocolate or white chocolate chips, and place the rest into the double boiler, stirring continuously until melted. Remove it from the heat, then throw in the reserved pieces of chocolate, stirring to melt and incorporate them into the already-melted bowl of chocolate. To prevent the melted chocolate from seizing, keep it away from any water. Add a tablespoon or so of tasteless cooking oil (preferably canola), and stir it with the chocolate pieces as they melt.